This invention relates generally to hip braces, and more particularly, to a hip brace worn temporarily after surgery to prevent dislocation of the hip from activities occurring during the healing process.
Various hip surgery techniques are used for repairing or replacing bone structures in the pelvic and upper thigh regions of the human anatomy. Such surgery normally requires an incision of the muscle and tendon tissue adjacent to the pelvis such that the bone structure surrounded by such tissue may be accessed for replacement or repair. The muscle and tendon tissue not only facilitates movement of the skeletal hip structure but also assists in holding the thigh bone within the pelvic socket.
During recovery, the muscle and tendon tissue will be weakened and not completely effective in retaining the thigh bone within the pelvic socket. Accordingly, in some cases patients recovering from hip surgery inadvertently move the thigh and dislocate the femur from the pelvic socket. Certain movements of the thigh will not cause dislocation, and thus the patient should not be completely immobilized in those circumstances, to allow some minimal exercise of the healing muscles and tendons during the very early stages of the recovery process and to accommodate some mobility by the patient. Thigh movements commonly known to cause dislocation of the femur are the exaggerated flexion of the hip, such as pivoting the thigh forwardly toward the chest, or abduction of the thigh toward the other leg, or a combination of flexion and abduction such as crossing one leg over the other. In addition to causing an extreme amount of pain to the patient, hip dislocation may require the surgeon to reoperate to put the thigh bone back into the pelvic socket.
A hip abduction orthosis is a standard treatment to prevent recurrent hip dislocation. All hip orthoses control hip abduction and limit hip range of motion. Rotational control without extending the hip orthosis to the foot is not known to be available today. The present invention provides a hip orthosis which controls the motions mentioned and additionally controls hip rotation without extending the brace to the foot.
In the past certain braces have been used post-operatively to hold the patient""s legs in a fixed position while the patient rests in bed for a few weeks after surgery. The patient must carefully observe certain precautions about hip movement that are to be avoided, as explained by a doctor, but in some instances these braces allow the hip to inadvertently become dislocated. Consequently, more rigid hip braces were developed to prevent hip dislocation. Prior rigid hip braces used after surgery include a long, rigid hinged bar at the side of the hip with a rotating angular limiter at the hip joint that confines angular rotation of the hip to a pre-set angle. A problem with such braces is that they are heavy, bulky, and expensive to manufacture. Another prior post-operative hip brace includes a waist belt connected to a thigh belt by flexible inelastic posterior straps, a medial strap, and anterior straps. Because the straps which connect the waist and thigh belts are flexible, this hip brace is unable to provide rigid support for patients recuperating from total hip replacement surgery.
Consequently, a need exists for a hip brace that is light weight, is not bulky, is inexpensive to manufacture, and can be applied to a patient post-operatively, to prevent hip abduction, hyperflexion, and twisting of the hip joint during recovery of the patient.
Briefly, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a post-operative hip abduction orthosis for preventing hip dislocation during recovery of a patient. The orthosis includes a pelvic support adjustably positionable around the pelvic region of the patient, a thigh cuff adjustably positionable around the upper thigh region of the patient and spaced apart below the pelvic support, and a vertically extending hip supporting brace connected between the pelvic support and the thigh cuff. The brace extends across the thigh region of the patient and comprises an elongated rigid upper arm secured to a side of the pelvic support above the hip joint and an elongated rigid lower arm secured to a side of the thigh cuff below the hip joint. The upper and lower brace arms extend toward the hip joint and are pivotally connected to each other to provide a hinge about which the upper and lower brace arms rotate on an axis adapted generally for alignment with the hip joint of the patient. Adjustable stops control the angular range of motion between the rigid arms of the hip brace when rotated about the hinge axis. Axially adjustable connections between the upper and lower brace arms and the pelvic support and thigh cuff, respectively, are used to adjust the vertical spacing between the pelvic support and the thigh cuff. A laterally rotatable attachment between the pelvic support and the upper brace arm is used for releasably adjusting and rigidly setting the rotational position of the upper brace arm on the pelvic support, independently of the axial alignment between the upper brace arm and the pelvic support. The rotational adjustment allows the hip joint to be rotated internally or externally.
In another embodiment, skin adhesion layers on the pelvic support and the thigh cuff prevent rotation of the orthosis during patient movements and/or when adjusting the position of the orthosis on the patient.
These and other aspects of the invention will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.